


"I Loved You at Your Darkest."

by erin_sabat11



Category: Phantom of the Opera
Genre: AU, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-23
Updated: 2015-01-23
Packaged: 2018-03-08 19:20:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3220475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erin_sabat11/pseuds/erin_sabat11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>21 December 1886</p>
<p>“So many cold nights alone they've almost become completely unbearable. I am forever haunted by the shadows that follow me out of my dreams and into my thoughts during the day of what almost was and what could have been. I did not hate him, nor he me. I never got to make my choice, he made it for me. Five long years and I still think of him daily and wonder if he even can bear to think of me…my angel.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	"I Loved You at Your Darkest."

**Author's Note:**

> This if my first published fanfiction and it does not exactly explain some issues that would arise if in fact this actually happened with the characters. It's just for mere feels. Thanks & enjoy!

_**21 December 1886** _

_“So many cold nights alone they've almost become completely unbearable. I am forever haunted by the shadows that follow me out of my dreams and into my thoughts during the day of what almost was and what could have been. I did not hate him, nor he me. I never got to make my choice, he made it for me. Five long years and I still think of him daily and wonder if he even can bear to think of me…my angel.”_

**Christmas Eve 1886**

**London, England**

Madame De Chagny, traipsing around town buying some last minute gifts for her dear friends both near and far. _“So very cold for Christmas Eve.”_ She thinks to herself as she wraps her cape tighter around herself. Some days she awakes in her too empty bed and finds herself shocked that she no longer lives in Paris, for she always thought as a child she would live there her whole life. Dwelling on memories of a past life she almost does not notice the tall, thin man walking right in her direction, he too being carried away on a sea of his own personal thoughts.

That is, until…

“Oh my, Monsieur! Please do forgive me, I was not looking where I was walking!” she says as she hurries to pick up his and her own personal belongings that have become scurried all around the sidewalk. It does not escape her how he has yet to speak to her. _“Tad rude, I see,”_ she thinks to herself. Avoiding making eye contact, she shoves his possessions back into his hands and sets on her departure. “Sorry again.”

Her back turned to him she hears a faint “Wait” escape the lips of the man, thinking how she looks just as beautiful as the first day he laid eyes on her, so very long ago. _“That voice, it sounds familiar.”_

“Christine.”

She shudders as thousands upon thousands of memories flood her mind and she turns around slowly to see an all too familiar white mask and mile deep eyes staring back at her. _“No. It cannot be.”_

“Tea?” is all he says and she feels herself nodding in reply as she weaves her hand into his waiting arm to be escorted to the nearest tea shop.

Once they get there and all is settled they fall into an awkward and uncomfortable silence, quietly sipping their tea waiting for one another to start the conversation they do not want to have.

“It’s been a long time.”

“Five years.” She automatically cuts him off, quite surprised at her own tone of voice.

“I know.” He says in reply.

She takes a chance and looks up at him to find him watching her affectionately like he always used to, like no time has passed between the two of them and nothing has changed.

“How have you been getting along?” he asks while taking a bite of a biscuit sitting nearby. “Where’s the Vicomte? I would rather try to avoid running into him.”

_“Of course. He wouldn’t know.”_

“Christine?”

“You have nothing to fear, you will not see him.” He just looks at her. “He passed,” Is all she says.

He reaches for her hand in an attempt to comfort her but immediately snatches his hand away at the feel of her hand under his.

“About two years ago, he was out riding in the woods. A snake came in front of his horse and spooked him. Fell right off, it was immediate.” She closes her eyes at the memory.

“Christine, I am sorry. I know he loved you very much and you him. Do you-?”

“No, we didn’t have children.” She finishes for him. He nods in understanding. “I moved here almost right after. It was too much to stay in Paris, too many memories, I needed a fresh start.”

“I felt the same.” He agrees.

More silence. They sit together for another thirty minutes before he announces he has an appointment to make. She realizes in this moment that this is a sign, to see each other again; she cannot this slip through her fingertips.

As he makes his way out she speaks up, “Wait!” He turns back to look at her, confusion written across his visible features. “Do you happen to have any prior engagements for this evening? If not, you can join me for supper at my house?” He smiles at her and she knows she has her answer. After directions, arrival times and goodbyes, they both depart with smiles on their faces.

Hours later, a knock on her door announces that her visitor has arrived. She cannot help but feel a bit nervous at what tonight will bring. She opens the door to a bouquet of white roses tied with red ribbon and a very nice dressed suitor standing behind. She gladly accepts the roses and rushes him in from out of the cold.

They sit down to a wonderful dinner and silence engulfs them once more. They share minor dialogue between bites and nothing more. They retire to the sitting room for the evening, where they toast to a Merry Christmas, a New Year and to New Beginnings.

Setting down his glass on an end table, he asks the question nagging at him from the back of his mind since she asked him over for dinner earlier today, “Christine, why? Why did you ask me here tonight? After what had happened between us I had thought you would never want anything to do with me again.”

Taking a deep breath, she answers his questions with as much honesty as she can muster up, “Because I believe in fate and that us running into each other today after all this time is a sign from above, a sign that you made the wrong choice.”

“That I made the wrong choice?!” he shouts.

“Well it certainly wasn’t my choice to leave. Then again, I never got to make my choice, did I?” she shouts back, standing up and walking away from him, finally able to get it all out.

He stands up to look at her squarely in the eye, “I set you free, I did what I thought was best for you. You would never have been happy with me.”

“That was not your choice to make,” she whispers as she turns her back toward him, unable to stand his gaze any longer.

“You loved him, and he you!” he shouted. “I did what I thought was best!” he repeats, more to himself than to her.

She turns back around to face him, tears welling in her eyes, finally able to say it, “I loved him, yes! But my heart has always belonged to you!”

As soon as the words escape her lips he crosses the room in two strides to stand right in front of her. Bringing one trembling hand up to her face, he looks directly into her eyes, searching for something to tell him this is real. She smiles up at him and he seals their fate with a kiss.

“I love you.” He whispers.

“And I love you, always will.”

And little did they know that they shared their first kiss again, after all these years, right under the mistletoe her maid hung up last week.


End file.
